Ignition attachment for internal-combustion engines.



L. G RESHAM.

Patented Sept. 3,1918.

3 mm ntoz C] It we 0 Z622 resfiarra IGNITION ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 29. I9I7- WW/I'M 4200M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEN GRESHAM, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF T0 EDWARD D.

MACFEE, JB., PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.

IGNITION ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented Sept. 3, 1 918.

Application filed September 28, 1917. "Serial No. 193,732.

i To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, LEN-GRESHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented'new and useful Improvements in Ignition Attachments for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to improvements in ignition attachments for internal combustion engines, and the primary objects of the invention are to provide an attach- "ment of this character which is relatively inexpensive in construction and capable of being. easily mounted on the engine and which will indicate with certainty the existence and the location of defective ignition and which will also improve the ignition by producing more effective sparking at the spark plugs and will prevent fouling of the plugs by oil or carbon.

' To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the

novel features being pointed out particularly in theclaims at the endof the specification. J v In the accompanying drawings- I Figure 1 is a top plan view of Kin-internal combustion engine equipped with an igniv-tion attachment constructed in'ac'cordance 1 Fig. 2.

with the present invention. 7

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section throughthe attachment on the line 22 of Fig. 1. 'Fig. through the attachment on the line 3-3 of the accompanying drawing and will be here inafter described in detail, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement shown, as equivalent constructions which .may be convenientl 3 represents a" transverse section" charges of exand arrangements are contemplated and will be included within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, 1 represents the upper portion of a gasolene or internal combustion engine, such as commonly employed in the propulsion of automobiles. These engines have different numbers of cylinders and the number of spark plugs used varies with the number of cylinders. The present invention is applicable to; engines of this class, irrespective of the number of cylinders and spark plugs that may be employed.

In the present instance, the engine is shown conventionally as having a set of foul. Spark plugs 2, and the spark plugs may be of any of the types commonly used, these plugs having terminals 3 at their .upper ends which are connected to one of the electrodes of the respective plugs and, ordinarily, the

ignition wires 4 are attached directly to the terminals3 of the spark plugs, these ignition I wires leading from a distributer which 'receives high tension current from a magneto or "from a spark coil.

The,attachment embodying the present inventioncomprlses a support or member 5 strip of wood of suitable length, this member .lhaving brackets 6 on its lower side which 'serve to fasten the attachment to the engine. Preferably, and as shown, the

brackets 6 have slotted ends 7 which are adapted to be slipped-under the heads 8 of the bolts which hold the head ofthe cylinder upon the body thereof, or these bolts be used jforholding other parts to the the attachment being applied byloefrening such bolts, inserting the slotted y engine,

ends'lpf he bracketsbeneath the heads of the bolts, and then tightening the bolts. to

clamp the brackets firmly to the engine.

.The member 5 serves to support a set of electrodes 9 which correspond in number 100 to the number of spark plugs employed, and these electrodes are held in cooperative relation withthe support or member 5 .by a clamping strip 10 which overlies the elec- I o trodes and 1s securedin a suitable way to the top of the member 5. The electrodes 9 extend transversely of the members 5 and 10, and these members 5 and '10 extend longitudinally of the row .of spark plugs.

Preferably, the electrodes 9. are adjustable.

individually in a direction transversely of formed of a screws 12 are tightened the electrodes are firmly and immovably secured or clamped between the supporting members 5 and 10. In order to gulde the electrodes relatively to the member 5 and thereby maintain the electrodes in alinement with the respective spark plugs, a groove 13 is preferably formed in the upper face of the member 5 in which the electrode is slidable, the electrode, however, being of a greater thickness than the depth of the groove in order that the upper member 10 may exert a clamping action upon the electrode. The outer end of each electrode is provided with a terminal 1-1 and, in using the attachment, the ignition wires 4 are connected to these terminals 14 of the electrodes instead of being attached directly to the terminals of the spark plugs. Ordinarily, the same ignition wires which usually extend directly to the spark plugs may be used without alteration, it being necessary in applying the attachment to merely transfer these ignition wires from the terminals on the spark plugs to the terminals 14 on the electrodes.

In operating an internal combustion engine equipped with an ignition attachment embodying the present invention, the current for producing the sparks at the spark plugs is conducted to the plugs through the medium of the electrodes 9 which are interposed between the plugs and the ignition wires, the current being compelled to jump the gaps 11 between the electrodes and the terminals of the plugs in order to complete the circuit. The sparks passing the gaps 11 will be visible,and should defective ignition occur the absence of a spark at any one of these gaps at the moment it should pass will indicate that the particular spark plug to which the gap corresponds does not receive the necessary current, and this will enable the operator or attendant to remedy the defect. l have also discovered that, by

. operatin an internal combustion engine 'equippet. with an ignition attachment of this character, fouling of the spark plugs by oil or carbon is practically eliminated, as the jumping of the spark through the exterior gaps produces a more intense spark between the electrodes of the spark plugs. This intensified spark also produces more perfect combustion in the cylinders and results in greater power and smoother operation of the engine.

I claim as my invention 1. An attachment for the ignition systems of internal combustion engines comprising a support carrying electrodes having terminals for connection to the ignition wires spaced from the respective s ark plugs to form spark gaps between t em and the spark plugs.

2. An attachment for the ignition systems of internal combustion engines comprising a support having means for mounting it in fixed relation to the engine and longitudinally of the row of spark lugs thereof, and a set of electrodes carried y and projecting laterally from the supportand spaced. from the respective plugs to form spark gaps, the electrodes having terminals thegeon for the attachment of the ignition wires; 4

3. An attachment for theignition systerr 1 s fixed relation to the engine and longitudinally of the row of spark plugs thereof, and a set of electrodes carried by the support and spaced from the 'espective plugs to form spark gaps, the geleetrodes being adapted for attachment to the ignition. wires and being individually adjustable transversely of the support to vary the spark gaps between them and the respective plugs.

4. An attachment for the ignition systems of internal combustion engines comprising a support adapted to be fixed to the engine in parallelism with the row of spark plugs thereof and having guides thereon, electrodes slidable in said guides in a direction toward and from the respective spark plugs to form adjustable spark gaps between them and the plugs, and a clamping member overlying said support and operative to hold the electrodes in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEN GRESHAM.

copies of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

